Biofore Magazine 2020

8

The Milky Way From wood to steel and glass and now back to wood? Life seems to have come full circle for the milk container, and its newest design is rooted in Finnish innovation.

‘Pure-Pak’ milk carton A toymaker named John Van Wormer, from Toledo, Ohio, patents this idea following a glass bottle accident. The carton was made entirely from paperboard and then dipped in paraffin wax to prevent the material from getting soggy.

Steel churn This metal container was easy to transport, stopped milk from sloshing out, and offered a slight degree of refrigeration and protection from the elements.

Pre-1850

1879

1850s

1915

Glass bottle This was a hygienic, sustainable alternative because it could be cleaned, sterilised and sealed until needed. But it was heavy and made up of non- renewable materials.

Wooden buckets Known as ‘pails’, they were used to transfer milk from farms into nearby towns, but they had no lids or any form of refrigeration, which led to spilling, spoilage and contamination.